UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT  STATION 

CIRCULAK  No.  166 

(August,  1917) 
Eeprinted  June,  1921 

THE  COUNTY  FARM  BUREAU 

By  B.  H.  CROCHERON 


THE    FUNCTION    OF   THE    FARM    BUREAU 

A  farm  bureau  is  an  organization  of  farmers  and  ranchers  who 
combine  to  promote  agriculture  through  cooperative  study  of  farm 
conditions. 

Many  types  of  farmers'  organizations  have  long  been  existent. 
There  have  been  farmers'  clubs,  granges,  institutes,  unions,  alliances, 
and  others.  Some  of  these  have  been  more  or  less  successful,  but  many 
have  passed  away.  Their  failure  has  usually  been  due  to  one  or  more 
of  the  following  causes :  ( 1 )  lack  of  a  distinct  purpose  to  fill  a  definite 
need;  (2)  lack  of  membership  to  sufficiently  represent  all  classes  of 
farmers  and  types  of  farming;  (3)  lack  of  cooperation  with  other 
similar  farm  organizations  ;  (4)  lack  of  continuous  and  unselfish  leader- 
ship. 

The  farm  bureau  is  distinct  from  all  of  these.  It  is  not  primarily 
a  social  organization;  neither  is  it  essentially  to  unite  farmers  so  as 
to  lower  prices  of  stuffs  bought  and  to  raise  prices  of  products  sold. 
It  is  formed  to  bring  together  for  mutual  cooperation  those  farmers 
who  want  to  investigate  the  fundamental  problems  that  are  involved 
in  production  on  their  farms. 

Every  state  and  territory  has  at  least  one  ' '  experiment  farm ' '  sup- 
ported by  federal  and  state  funds.  These  have  been  exceedingly  val- 
uable because  the  results  therefrom  were  noted  by  men  whose  business 
and  interest  it  was  to  observe.  The  acreages  of  these  farms  were  small ; 
their  crops  were  often  meagre — and  yet  they  have  been  worth  millions 
beyond  their  cost  because  the  records  of  productions  and  the  conditions 
under  which  they  were  grown  were  known  and  noted. 

Many  of  our  farm  problems  are  already  solved  on  the  farms  of  the 
nation.  Individuals  have  found  the  solution  of  vexing  questions  that 
are  agitating  the  experiment  stations  and  agricultural  colleges.     But 


2  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 

these  solutions  usually  fall  out  of  sight  unnoted  or  are  known  only  to 
the  man  on  whose  farm  they  occur.  If  these  unknown  and  unnoted 
experiments  could  be  gathered,  they  would  at  once  add  much  to  our 
view  of  agriculture. 


ORGANIZATION  PLAN  OF  THE 
COUNTY  FARM  BUREAU 


A—  12   Centers 

B  =  Four  Directors  at  Lar£e 

C=  Vice-President 

D=  Secretary 

E  =  12  Center  Director.*? 

F  =  President 

The  county  farm  bureau  is  divided  geographically  into  ten  or  twelve  cen- 
ters. Each  center  elects  a  director.  These  with  the  president,  vice- 
president,  secretary-treasurer,  and  four  directors  at  large,  make  up  the 
Board  of  Directors  which  meets  once  a  month. 


Circular  166 


THE   COUNTY   FARM    BUREAU 


In  America  there  are  on  the  average  more  than  100,000  farms  to 
each  "experiment  farm."  Obviously,  if  the  results  on  some  small 
percentage  of  these  could  be  viewed  from  the  same  standpoint  as  at 
the  experiment  farm,  the  benefits  would  enormously  outnumber  the 


DEPARTMENTAL  -  ORGANIZATION 

-OF-THE- 

COUNTY -FARM-BUREAU 


A  =  Swine  Breeders*  Committee  of  the  Farm  bureau  Centers 
a=      ..  ..  ..  ....     County  Farm    Bureau 

A  +  a  =  Swine  Breeders'  Department  of  the  Farm  Bureau 
B  =  Cow  Testing  Committee  of  the  Farm  Bureau  Center* 
j,=    ..        ..  ••         ••    ••  County  Farm  Bureau 

B  +  b=  Cow  Testing  Department  of  the  Farm   Bureau 
C=  Any  Committee  of  the    Farm  Bureau  Centers 
c  =  The  same  Committee  of  the  County   Farm  Bureau 
C+c=  The  same    Department  of  the    Farm   Bureau 

Soon  after  a  county  farm  bureau  is  organized  departments  are  formed  for 
those  having  similar  interests.  Each  department  organizes  with  sec- 
tions in  the  centers  concerned.  The  affairs  of  the  department  are 
administered  through  a  committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors  who  in 
turn  report  to  the  entire  Board. 


4  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

records  achieved  by  the  experiment  stations.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible 
to  gather  all  this  material  or  to  note  all  the  changing  conditions  on 
farms.  But  it  may  be  possible  to  gather  together  into  one  county 
organization  the  wide-awake  and  interested  farmers  who  will  compare 
their  results  with  those  of  others  and,  in  a  more  or  less  scientific  way, 
plan  out  experiments  and  demonstrations  on  their  own  farms.  Such 
is  a  farm  bureau. 

Fundamentally,  then,  a  farm  bureau  for  the  county  can  be  collec- 
tively a  sort  of  giant  experiment  station  with  several  hundred  observers 
who  hold  a  monthly  caucus  to  compare  results. 

The  farm  bureau  has  a  trained  man  to  aid  it :  the  farm  advisor. 
(See  Circular  133.)  It  is  his  business  to  help  interpret  results,  to 
point  out  new  lines  of  work,  and  to  deduce  conclusions  from  the  evi- 
dence at  hand.  The  farm  bureau  can  be  of  greater  value  to  the  county 
than  the  farm  advisor.  Together  they  can  be  of  more  benefit  than 
either  alone. 

Other  activities  may  concern  the  farm  bureau  besides  local  research 
into  agricultural  problems. 

The  farm  bureau  may  be  a  sort  of  rural  chamber  of  commerce  and 
thus  be  the  guardian  of  rural  affairs.  It  can  take  the  lead  in  agitation 
for  good  roads,  for  better  schools,  and  for  cheaper  methods  of  buying 
and  selling.  Various  subsidiary  organizations  of  the  farm  bureau, 
known  as  farm  bureau  departments,  may  be  formed,  thus  linking  to- 
gether persons  of  similar  or  identical  interests.  Perhaps,  most  of  all, 
the  farm  bureau  can  help  promote  the  social  institutions  of  country 
life.  Some  rural  neighbors  are  so  starved  for  recreational  meetings 
that  they  will  come  out  to  anything  from  a  patent-medicine  show  to  a 
school  meeting.  The  farm  bureau  can  help  put  more  recreation  into 
rural  life.  Every  country  neighborhood  ought  to  have  some  social 
gathering  at  least  once  a  week.  It  is  almost  as  much  needed  as  the 
spiritual  congregations  at  the  church,  or  the  educational  assemblages 
of  the  children  at  the  schoolhouse. 

But  very  surely  and  insistently  the  farm  bureau  is  not  first  and 
foremost  of  these  purposes — good  and  desirable  as  they  may  be.  Per- 
haps the  farm  bureau  can  help  to  buy  cheaper  and  better  seeds,  can 
help  to  boost  the  local  socials,  can  encourage  the  faltering  school 
teacher,  can  get  out  and  talk  for  good  roads — but  its  first  and  surest 
function  is  to  increase  the  local  knowledge  of  agricultural  fact. 


Circular  166 


THE    COUNTY    FARM    BUREAU 


THE    GENERAL    PLAN 

The  membership  of  the  farm  bureau  is  composed  of  those  persons  in 
the  county  interested  in  agriculture  who  desire  to  promote  its  pros- 
perity through  the  formation  of  a  county  organization  to  which  they 
pay  a  membership  fee  each  year.  A  county  farm  bureau  should  have 
at  least  one-fifth  of  the  farmers  in  its  membership. 

The  whole  membership  of  the  farm  bureau  meets  together  but  once 
a  year  at  its  annual  meeting  in  the  fall.     At  that  time  the  general 


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Often  the  organization  of  a  farm  bureau  is  started  by  a  big  county 
meeting  to  which  every  one  is  invited. 


officers  are  elected — president,  vice-president,  and  four  directors  at 
large. 

For  practical  purposes  the  county  organization  is  divided,  along 
geographical  lines,  into  ten  or  twelve  farm  bureau  centers.  Each 
center  that  has  ten  or  more  members  elects  a  director  as  leader.  He 
acts  as  chairman  of  the  meetings  and  represents  the  center  on  the  board 
of  the  county  farm  bureau. 

Thus,  if  there  are  ten  centers  in  the  county,  there  will  be  fourteen 
directors  on  the  board:  four  at  large  and  one  from  each  of  the  ten 
centers. 

These  directors,  with  the  county  president  and  vice-president, 
usually  hold  a  meeting  once  a  month  when  reports  are  heard  from  the 
various  centers  and  the  general  plans  for  the  movement  in  the  county 
are  considered. 


b  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  officers  elect  a  secretary-treasurer,  who  holds  the  funds  and 
keeps  the  records  of  the  farm  bureau. 

The  farm  bureau  is  financed  by  dues  which  its  members  pay  into 
the  central  county  organization.  The  expenses  of  the  bureau  are  those 
of  hiring  offices,  the  carrying  on  of  .correspondence,  printing  of  pamph- 
lets, etc.  Sometimes,  but  not  usually,  the  farm  bureau  pays  the  ex- 
penses of  the  directors  who  come  to  the  board  meetings  once  a  month. 
Usually  no  funds  are  required  to  conduct  the  farm  bureau  center  or- 
ganizations, but  if  necessary  the  members  of  a  center  may  vote  to  levy 
on  themselves  a  small  additional  fee. 


The  farm  bureau  directors  meet  once  a  month  at  the  county  seat  to 
determine  the  agricultural  policies  of  the  county. 


THE   GENERAL    MEETING   ONCE   A   YEAR 

The  annual  meeting — at  which  the  election  of  officers  takes  place — 
is  held  in  the  fall,  usually  at  the  county-seat.  It  should  be  so  arranged 
as  to  make  it  a  matter  of  considerable  local  interest  and  importance — 
it  may  be  an  all-day  gathering  to  which  speakers  of  note  are  invited ; 
it  may  sometimes  take  the  form  of  a  large  public  banquet,  or  of  a 
country  picnic.  The  main  effort  is  to  have  present  a  large  proportion 
of  the  membership  of  the  entire  farm  bureau  in  order  that  the  officers 
elected  may  be  adequately  representative  of  the  whole  community  and 
that  once  a  year  the  organization  may  realize  its  strength  and  its  large 
membership. 


Circular  166 


THE    COUNTY   FARM    BUREAU 


THE    DIRECTORS'    MEETING    ONCE    A    MONTH 

The' directors  of  the  farm  bureau  meet  every  month — usually  on  a 
Saturday — at  the  farm  bureau  offices  or  at  the  farm  advisor's  offices. 
These  meetings  should  be  of  such  vital  interest  that  the  entire  board 
of  directors  will  be  present.  At  these  meetings  the  agricultural  poli- 
cies of  the  county  should  be  determined,  committees  appointed,  reports 
heard  from  each  of  the  directors  representing  a  farm  bureau  center, 
and  from  all  departmental  committees,  and  a  general  consideration 
given  to  the  plans  of  the  farm  bureau  and  the  farm  advisor.  The 
meetings  may  or  may  not  be  open  to  the  public.    In  some  cases  it  has 


The  farm  bureau  has  its  headquarters  at  the  office  of  the  farm  advisor 
located  at  the  county  seat. 

been  thought  wise  to  have  the  directors,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  morn- 
ing meeting,  lunch  together  at  a  local  hotel  or  restaurant  in  order  that 
there  may  be  some  social  phase  to  the  day 's  proceedings. 


THE    FARM    BUREAU    CENTER    MEETINGS    ONCE    A    MONTH 

The  farm  advisor,  by  regular  appointment,  may  be  present  one  day 
a  month  in  each  center  of  the  farm  bureau.  Thus,  if  there  are  ten  or 
twelve  centers,  he  will  have  ten  or  twelve  definite  appointments  each 
month  for  his  local  work.  It  is  not  usually  possible  for  a  farm  advisor 
to  meet  with  more  than  a  maximum  of  thirteen  centers.  Since  the 
effective  work  of  a  farm  bureau  requires  the  leadership  of  the  farm 


8  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

advisor,  it  is  highly  desirable  that  the  county  be  so  districted  that  not 
more  than  thirteen  centers  need  be  formed  to  cover  all  the  probable 
places  at  which  farm  bureau  centers  will  be  required. 

The  usual  method  of  the  farm  advisor  is  to  come  at  once  to  the  home 
or  office  of  the  local  farm  bureau  director  and  to  learn  from  him  those 
who  desire  to  have  the  farm  advisor  call  at  their  farms  on  that  day. 
He  then  spends  his  entire  day — or  two  days  if  necessary — going  about 
the  neighborhood  seeing  those  who  desire  his  services.  The  farm  ad- 
visor never  goes  to  any  except  those  who  so  request. 

Usually  the  farm  bureau  center  has  its  meeting  the  night  when  the 
farm  advisor  is  there.  These  meetings  may  be  open  to  the  public,  but 
should  be  serious  discussions  of  questions  pertinent  to  the  farm  pros- 
perity of  the  neighborhood.  To  this  end  it  is  proposed  that  some  of 
the  local  meetings  of  the  farm  bureau  centers  be  devoted  entirely  to 
a  study  of  some  one  phase  of  agricultural  practice.  For  example,  if 
lime  is  a  pertinent  question  for  the  neighborhood,  the  farm  advisor 
may  explain  in  detail  all  the  forms  of  commercial  lime,  using  a  black- 
board if  necessary  to  make  it  all  clear.  The  members  may  bring  note- 
books and  write  down  such  points  as  interest  them.  Other  subjects, 
such  as  "sprays  and  spraying,"  "balanced  rations,"  and  "methods  of 
testing  seeds"  may  well  occupy  one  or  several  meetings  in  order  to 
cover  them  in  such  a  way  that  all  can  gain  a  true  comprehension  of 
the  subject.  It  will  take  real  old-fashioned  study  to  do  it.  But  that 
is  the  function  of  the  farm  bureau. 

Sometimes  the  members  of  a  farm  bureau  center  go  in  automobiles 
for  a  well  planned  day  to  see  demonstration  plots  that  show  definite 
results,  to  look  at  a  well  built  barn  or  a  well  bred  herd.  Such  a  trip 
is  an  inspiration  as  well  as  a  source  of  more  knowledge.  But  it  must 
be  undertaken  with  a  serious  purpose  and  not  as  a  junket. 

Some  of  the  meetings  may  be  open  to  the  public  and  take  on  a 
more  distinctively  social  feature.  But  if,  as  often  happens,  the  pres- 
ence of  others  hamper  freedom  of  discussion  and  a  real  promotion  of 
the  subject,  it  may  prove  better  to  discourage  the  attendance  of  persons 
not  members  of  the  bureau  and  to  hold  the  "social  meetings"  at  other 
times. 

THE     DEMONSTRATIONS     ON     SELECTED    FARMS 

In  order  to  further  promote  an  understanding  of  some  of  the 
methods  advanced  by  the  farm  advisor,  it  may  be  desirable  to  have 
demonstrations  of  these  located  on  scattered  farms  throughout  the 
county.  Usually  these  demonstrations  are  placed  with  the  most  inter- 
ested and  active  members  of  the  farm  bureau. 


Circular  166 


THE   COUNTY   FARM    BUREAU 


If,  say,  the  farm  advisor  desires  to  locate  fifty  demonstrations 
through  the  county,  he  may  ask  each  of  the  directors  representing  a 
center  to  nominate  five  members  with  whom  demonstrations  may  be 
placed.  These  members  agree  to  undertake  the  management  of  one 
piece  of  land,  section  of  orchard,  or  group  of  animals  as  directed  by 
the  farm  advisor  in  order  to  demonstrate  some  fact  of  agricultural 
importance  to  the  neighborhood. 

Usually  farms  supplied  with  such  demonstrations  are  called  ' '  dem- 
onstration farms' '  and  the  owner  is  know  asa"  demonstrator. ' '    Often 


The  farm  bureau  director  is  the  responsible  officer  of  the  farm  bureau 
center.  The  farm  advisor  travels  around  on  schedule  to  each  center 
once  a  month,  visiting  farms  and  holding  a  meeting  there. 


the  farm  bureau  supplies  signs  to  be  placed  on  the  gatepost  or  a  road- 
side tree  on  the  farm  where  such  a  demonstration  is  located.  These 
signs  read,  "Demonstrator,  County  Farm  Bureau." 


DEPARTMENTS    OF    THE    FARM     BUREAU 

Soon  after  a  county  farm  bureau  is  organized  there  is  a  renewed 
activity  and  interest  along  the  several  lines  of  agriculture  represented 
among  its  members.  Even  in  one  farm  bureau  center  these  are  often 
of  diverse  agricultural  interests  because  their  farms  turn  out  diverse 
products.  Thus  those  of  like  interest  may  desire  to  form  subsidiary 
organizations  for  more  frequent  meetings  or  for  more  direct  work  along 


10 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


their  specialty.  For  example,  the  dairyman  may  wish  to  carry  on  co- 
operative cow  testing,  to  purchase  pure-bred  sires,  or  to  market  their 
product;  the  swine  raisers  may  wish  to  stamp  out  hog  cholera  or  to 
specialize  on  one  breed  of  hogs ;  the  alfalfa  growers  may  desire  to  uni- 
formly grade  their  hay  or  to  store  it  in  cooperatively  owned  ware- 
houses. These  needs  are  met  by  the  organization  of  departments  within 
the  farm  bureau.  There  may  be  a  "Cow-testing  Department,"  or  a 
"Dairy  Department";  a  "Swine  Breeders'  Department";  an  "Al- 
falfa Growers'  Department,"  and  others. 

Each  department  organizes  with  sections  in  each  center  wherein 
there  are  interested  members.  Each  section  in  a  center  has  a  Farm 
Bureau  Center  Committee  on  Swine  Raising  (for  example),  which 
renders  a  monthly  report  at  the  regular  center  meeting  for  the  swine 


Meetings  are  held  regularly  every  month  at  every  farm  bureau  center. 
The  farm  advisor  is  present,  but  the  farmers  run  the  meeting.  Both 
men  and  women  attend. 


raisers '  section  of  the  center.  This  report  is  transmitted  by  the  center 
director  to  the  committee  of  the  board  of  directors,  known  as  the  Farm 
Bureau  Committee  on  Swine  Raising,  which  in  turn  reports  for  the 
whole  department  at  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 
The  secretary-treasurer  of  the  farm  bureau  is  treasurer  of  all  depart- 
ments and  the  Board  of  Directors  are  the  final  court  to  pass  upon  all 
plans  and  reports  of  the  several  departments. 

By  this  means  the  united  agricultural  force  of  the  whole  county  is 
given  to  the  enterprises  undertaken  by  any  department,  so  that  finan- 
cial, moral  and  universal  backing  is  given  to  a  group  of  men  who, 
standing  alone  as  an  outside  organization,  could  not  find  sufficient 


Circular  166 


THE    COUNTY    FARM    BUREAU 


11 


strength  to  accomplish  effectively  the  end  desired.  The  several  depart- 
ments may  become  of  prime  importance  to  the  members,  but  if  all  are 
kept  within  the  initial  county  farm  bureau  organization  and,  as  above, 
clear  their  activities  through  the  Board  of  Directors,  the  county  can 
still  present  a  united  agricultural  front. 


HOW   TO    FORM    A   FARM    BUREAU 

The  movement  for  a  farm  bureau  usually  starts  from  some  interested 
persons  in  the  county  who  feel  it  desirable  to  have  such  an  organization 
to  further  its  agricultural  interests. 

Often  it  is  the  chamber  of  commerce  that  makes  the  start  to  call 
the  matter  to  the  attention  of  the  people.     Sometimes  it  is  a  small 


Demonstrations  of  successful  agricultural  methods  are  located  by  the  farm 
advisor  on  the  farms  of  interested  members  of  the  farm  bureau. 


farmers'  club,  grange,  or  farmers'  union  that  issues  the  call  for  a 
county- wide  organization.  However  the  matter  begins,  the  funda- 
mental point  is  that  it  shall  be  a  voluntary  organization  of  farm  people 
who  realize  the  need  for  such  a  gathering  of  the  rural  forces  of  the 
county. 

There  have  been  two  methods  used  to  organize  farm  bureaus  in 
this  state. 

The  most  general  method  has  been  to  call  a  big  meeting  which  is 
advertised  in  every  way  possible.  Usually  the  invitations  are  sent  out 
by  a  self-appointed  committee  who  try  to  arouse  all  the  people  of  the 
county.  Sometimes  these  send  out  postcards  to  every  farmer  in  the 
county,  getting  the  list  from  the  office  of  the  county  tax  assessor,  or 


12  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

some  other  public  place  of  record.  Usually  the  meeting  is  held  in  some 
big  hall  or  on  a  picnic  ground;  sometimes  there  is  a  brass  band  and 
social  features  to  the  occasion.  Almost  always  it  is  an  all-day  meeting. 
If  requested,  speakers  are  sent  from  the  College  of  Agriculture.  At 
this  meeting  a  constitution  and  by-laws  are  adopted ;  the  members  pay 
to  the  county  organization  a  membership  fee  as  their  first  year's  dues; 
and  a  president,  vice-president  and  four  directors  at  large  are  elected. 
At  some  later  time  these  officers,  meeting  together,  divide  the  county 
into  ten  or  twelve  geographical  districts.  The  members  of  the  county 
farm  bureau  living  in  each  district  then  form  themselves  into  a  farm 
bureau  center  and  elect  a  director  to  represent  them  on  the  board  of 
the  farm  bureau.  This  method  has  been  generally  used  and  may,  in 
most  cases,  prove  most  successful.  It  starts  the  organization  off  with 
a  big  day  and  calls  it  to  the  attention  of  all  the  people. 

The  other  method  is  the  reverse  of  this.  A  committee  of  interested 
persons,  a  chamber  of  commerce,  or  a  board  of  trade  holds  small  meet- 
ings in  different  sections  of  the  county  that  might  become  farm  bureau 
centers.  At  these  meetings  those  present,  if  they  so  desire,  join  the 
farm  bureau,  pay  membership  fee,  and  afterward  elect  a  director  to 
serve  on  the  board  of  the  farm  bureau.  After  the  ten  or  twelve  cen- 
ters have  been  formed,  the  directors  so  elected  meet  and  call  a  general 
meeting  at  which  a  constitution  and  by-laws  are  adopted  and  a  presi- 
dent, vice-president,  and  four  directors  at  large  are  elected.  This 
method  has  been  used  in  counties  where  the  farmers  did  not  have  suffi- 
cient primary  interest  to  come  together  at  a  large  county  meeting,  or 
where  the  people  of  the  county  were  so  scattered  as  to  make  it  difficult 
to  bring  them  together  at  any  one  place. 


CONSTITUTION 

The  following  constitution  and  by-laws  ( Reprint,  with  some  correc- 
tions, from  Circular  118  of  the  College  of  Agriculture)  is  that  which 
has  been  adopted  in  farm  bureaus  of  the  state : 

CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS  FOE  THE  

COUNTY  FAEM  BUEEAU 


Preamble. — In  order  to  promote  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  county  and 
all  its  enterprises  dependent  upon  agriculture,  we,  the  undersigned,  do  hereby 
form  a  permanent  organization  under  the  following  constitution  and  by-laws. 

Article  I.    Name. — The  name  of  this  organization  shall  be  the  

County  Farm  Bureau. 

Article  II.  Object. — The  object  of  this  organization  shall  be  to  assist  the 
Farm  Advisor  in  this  work  in  the  county  and  to  aid  him  in  the  development  of 


Circular  166  THe  COUNTY  FARM  BUREAU  13 

agriculture  and  such  allied  industries  as  may  properly  come  within  his  province, 
including  the  betterment  of  social,  home,  school,  and  church  conditions  in  the 
county. 

Article  III.     Membership. — Any  person  resident  of  County 

or  an  owner  of  farm  land  in  the  county,  interested  and  willing  to  aid  in  the 
development  of  the  agriculture  of  the  county,  may  become  a  member  of  this 
bureau  by  agreeing  to  this  constitution  and  paying  to  the  county  organization  an 
annual  membership  fee  and  such  other  dues  as  may  be  regularly  assessed. 

Article  IV.     Officers  and  Duties. — Section  1.     The  administration  of  the 

affairs  of  the County  Farm  Bureau  shall  be  vested  in  the  following 

officers:  a  president,  a  vice-president,  a  secretary-treasurer,  four  directors  at 
large,  and  one  director  to  be  elected  as  hereinafter  provided  from  each  regularly 
organized  farm  bureau  center  through  the  county. 


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The  farm  bureau  organizes  excursions  to  go  with  the  farm  advisor  to  look 
at  successful  demonstrations  and  learn  from  them. 


Section  2. — The  directors  at  large  shall  be  elected  by  the  whole  bureau,  not 
more  than  one  from  one  center.  Each  center  director  shall  be  elected  by  the 
members  of  the  bureau  living  in  the  center  concerned.  The  secretary-treasurer 
shall  be  elected  by  the  officers. 

Section  3. — The  term  of  office  of  all  officers  shall  be  one  year,  or  until  the 
next  annual  meeting. 

Section  4. — All  the  officers  excepting  the  secretary-treasurer  shall  be  elected 
at  the  regular  annual  meeting. 

Section  5. — At  all  elections  a  majority  of  votes  cast  shall  be  necessary  to 
elect.    Vote  shall  be  by  ballot. 

Section  6. — Each  officer  shall  be  entitled  to  one  vote. 

Section  7. — The  president  shall  preside  at  all  the  meetings  of  the  officers  or 
of  the  bureau,  appoint  all  standing  committees  and  perform  all  other  duties  not 
otherwise  provided  for. 


14 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 


Section  8. — The  vice-president  shall  perform  the  duties  of  the  president  in 
his  absence. 

Section  9. — The  secretary -treasurer  shall  keep  a  record  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  bureau,  receive  the  membership  fees  and  assessments,  have  custody  of  all 
funds  of  the  bureau,  and  of  all  departments  therein,  and  shall  make  a  full  report 
at  each  annual  meeting,  or  at  such  time  as  the  bureau  may  direct.  He  shall  pay 
out  money  only  on  orders  signed  by  the  president  and  countersigned  by  himself. 

Article  V.    Vacancies. — The  officers  shall  have  power  to  fill  all  vacancies. 

Article  VI.  Meetings. — Section  1. — The  bureau  shall  hold  a  regular  annual 
meeting  during  the  early  fall,  the  date  and  place  to  be  set  by  the  officers  and 
announced  at  least  two  weeks  prior  to  the  time  of  meeting. 


The  farm  advisor  and  the  farm  bureau  are  efficient  because  they  have  the 
aid  of  the  agricultural  institutions  of  the  state  and  the  nation.  Spec- 
ialists are  sent  to  give  demonstrations  on  timely  subjects. 


Section  2. — The  officers  shall  hold  a  regular  monthly  meeting  at  the  office  of 
the  Farm  Advisor. 

Section  3. — It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  president  to  call  special  meetings  of 
the  bureau  at  the  request  of  a  majority  of  the  officers,  and  notice  of  same  must 
be  given  in  advance. 

Article  VII.  Committees. — The  committees  to  be  appointed  shall  be  made 
up  of  persons  suggested  by  the  Farm  Advisor  and  approved  by  the  officers.  The 
number  of  committees  and  number  of  persons  on  each  committee  to  be  regulated 
by  the  nature  and  character  of  the  work  to  be  done.  Committeemen  shall  serve 
for  a  term  of  one  year,  or  for  the  length  of  time  specified  at  the  time  of  their 
appointment.    Their  duties  shall  be  outlined  at  the  time  of  their  appointment. 

Article  VIII.  Order  of  Business. — The  following  shall  be  the  order  of  busi- 
ness at  all  regular  meetings  of  the  bureau  and  officers: 


Circular  166 


THE   COUNTY   FARM    BUREAU 


15 


1.  Call  to  order  by  the  president. 

2.  Eeading  of  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting. 

3.  Eeport  of  committees. 

4.  Unfinished  business. 

5.  Communications  from  State  Leader  or  Farm  Advisor. 

6.  Reports  of  officers. 

7.  New  business. 

8.  Adjournment. 


* 


The  farm  bureaus  represent  cooperation  in  community  enterprises.  Silo 
raisings  are  held,  like  old-fashioned  barn  raisings.  The  neighbors  turn 
in  and  put  up  a  silo  in  two  days  under  the  direction  of  a  representative 
from  the  College  of  Agriculture. 


Article  IX.  Amendment. — This  constitution  may  be  amended  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  of  the  members  present  at  any  regular  or  special  meeting.  Notice 
of  such  amendment  must  be  given  at  least  two  weeks  in  advance. 

Article  X.  Enacting  Clause. — Section  1. — This  constitution  shall  be  in  effect 
on  and  after  its  adoption. 

Section  2. — All  officers  elected  at  the  time  this  constitution  is  adopted  shall 
hold  office  only  until  next  annual  meeting. 


16 


UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 


BY-LAWS 

No.  1. — A  member  shall  be  considered  to  have  been  properly  notified  of  any- 
proposed  action  of  the  bureau  by  its  officers  whenever  such  notice  shall  have  been 
mailed  to  each  member  or  published  in  two  issues  of  such  county  papers  as  may 
be  designated  by  the  officers. 

No.  2. — Whenever  a  farm  bureau  center  shall  organize,  with  a  minimum  of 
ten  charter  members,  it  may  immediately  elect  its  director,  who  shall  hold  office 
until  the  next  annual  meeting.  The  center  may  then  apply  to  the  officers  of  the 
Farm  Bureau  for  a  seat  for  its  director  in  the  Board  of  Directors. 

No.  3. — An  organized  center  shall  be  entitled  to  a  center  bureau  headquarters, 
at  which,  if  requested,  the  Farm  Advisor  shall  be  present  on  the  regular  schedule 
at  least  once  a  month,  insofar  as  his  schedule  will  permit.  At  such  time  it  will 
be  the  object  of  the  Farm  Advisor  to  meet  members  of  the  bureaus  and  others, 
and  to  furnish  such  aid  as  may  be  requested. 

No.  4. — The  director  for  each  organized  center  will  have  charge  of  the  local 
headquarters  of  the  bureau  and  will  make  such  arrangements  for  the  Farm  Ad- 
visor while  there  as  will  best  conserve  the  time  of  the  advisor  and  serve  the 
interests  of  the  county. 

No.  5. — Departments  of  the  Farm  Bureau  may  be  organized,  and  may  be  later 
abolished,  by  vote  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Farm  Bureau.  Only  members 
of  the  Farm  Bureau  shall  be  members  of  departments  therein.  The  organization 
of  a  department  shall  include: 

(a)   Members  of  the  department  within  each  center,  to  be  known  as  

center  section  of  department. 

(&)   A  committee  in  each  center  to  be  known  as  the  " center 

committee  on " 

(c)   A  committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors  to  be  known  as  the  Farm  Bureau 

Committee  on  " "    Center  committees  shall  report  through  their 

directors  to  the  farm  bureau  committee,  who  in  turn  shall  submit  all  reports  to 
the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 


The  farm  bureaus  throughout  the  state  have  undertaken  various  forms  of 
marketing  enterprises  for  the  benefit  of  their  members.  Auction  sales 
of  livestock  have  helped  to  provide  a  wide  market  for  fat  stock. 


